MOU signed to hand Subiaco Oval to State Govt to be retained for junior sport

THE deal has officially been done to hand over Subiaco Oval to the State Government, with little local footballers looking forward to the prospect of a new playing space.

Planning Minister Rita Saffioti and Subiaco Mayor Penny Taylor took to the oval with three members of the Subiaco Junior Football Club to celebrate the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing.

The MOU means the State Government will now take on management responsibility for the precinct and move forward with master planning, with the Subiaco Oval playing surface retained for junior sport, students, the public and the WA Football Commission.

Ms Saffioti said the ground brought back a lot of memories.

“I’ve been coming to the footy for 28 years; there’s a tinge of sadness that AFL has moved, but the great thing is we retain the playing surface,” she said.

Ms Taylor said the City was excited to open up the oval for public use.

“It’ll be excellent; we’re hoping long-term to take the pressure off Rosalie Park, and make it accessible for kids sports,” she said.

Master planning for the precinct is set to prioritise active recreation space, along with addressing traffic, transport, access and parking arrangements, and heritage interpretation.